


Please be mine

by star_shipsss00



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Melendez is very much alive, a love triangle between Claire Melendez and Ricky?, finally some jealous melendez
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27652900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_shipsss00/pseuds/star_shipsss00
Summary: Neil Melendez returns to work at the hospital after his near-death experience but everyone and everything around him has changed and he now has to face his feelings for his resident. Claire has been avoiding Neil since the accident and doesn't know how to confront him upon his return. Ricky is determined to win over Claire's affection but what if she's still in love with her mentor?Written mainly from Melendez, Claire and Ricky's p.o.v.Starts with a flashback and transitions to after the earthquake from 3x20. Flashes back and forth to some of Melendaire’s best moments both on and off the screen and also creates some new ones.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Enrique Guerin, Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 20
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written a fic before and I'll take all constructive criticism I can get. Idk if I should continue but I've had this in the drafts for a while now so I decided to post it, lmk if I should leave this as is or if I should add more chapters.

Ch.1 

She’s beautiful…  
That was the first thought that surfaced in his mind as he shook hands with his new resident.  
“Dr. Claire Browne, very nice to meet you sir, I look forward to working with you.”  
Light green eyes contrasted delicately against smooth, chestnut skin and, tight curls cascaded down her shoulders.  
She’s absolutely beautiful.  
And yet this wasn’t a lustful thought, more of a casual observation. One which nestled at the back of his mind, far enough to stay out of his constant thoughts but very much present.  
“As do I,” he boldly responded, with a cheeky grin.

Her heart swelled and a pocketful of butterflies exploded within the pit of her stomach as their hands locked. And for a second she questioned whether she was dreaming with one of those hot tv doctors that all her friends swooned over. But no, this was definitely real. Her new boss was possibly one of the best looking men she had ever laid eyes on. His suit was perfectly tailored to fit his body and she could see what seemed like an antler peaking out from the side of his baby blue button up. His hair was neatly in place, eyes twinkled with a boyish essence, and he had firmly toned muscular arms. She knew she wouldn’t let this hinder her performance but damn he sure was a sight for sore eyes.

And just like that Neil and Claire had met, a simple yet bold impression and one that neither one would ever be able to forget.

Three years later….

Melendez  
Neil sucked in a deep breath whilst staring at his reflection in the small, staff bathroom mirror. He took a pause as he was mentally transported back to his first day as an intern picturing himself standing solemnly in the same exact spot, taking deep breaths in an attempt to stifle the nausea resulting from nerves. It had been years since then but he indeed felt the same exact way. He inspected himself meticulously trying to soak in every detail, no matter how miniscule. His arms were toned yet noticeable less muscular, his face was once again clean shaven but thinner and the antler from his mysteriously tattooed stag peaked out from his navy v-neck scrubs. Coming across this last feature he let out a small chuckle.  
“I hate your tattoo, too much antler.”  
Her words ringed in his ears, they had for months.  
Except they had been a figment of his imagination. 

There were many details of that fateful day which were still fuzzy but the part with Claire; those were as clear as day. It almost felt as if those moments he spent alone with her had been real and when he closed his eyes he could replay them ever so vividly. He saw her big green eyes magnified by the tears trickling down her flushed cheeks. The hope, fear and relief which washed over her face within seconds and the peace he experienced as he stroked her curls and felt her laying against his chest as those beautiful eyes were fixed on his. It was tragic yet perfect for in that moment he had felt a wholeness like never before, the waves of bliss muffled the uncertainty, drowning him with idiotic happiness. For in that moment all that mattered was that she loved him and he loved her. So, one can only imagine his confusion when he woke up, with a giant scar across his abdomen, and no Claire. Instead his first sight was a weary eyed Glassman snoring in a chair by his bedside and the realization that the only part of that tragic night he could remember had been a hallucination on the way to the hospital. 

Altogether he was relieved to be alive but couldn’t brush away the lingering disappointment. For weeks he lay on the hard hospital bed flooded with interminable thoughts of Claire, and craving her presence. Once easily repressed, his feelings were now released freely in his mind where he could no longer deny or run away from them. And so he soaked in thoughts of her; falling deeper and deeper in love with each passing moment. He thought about her physical beauty: her eyes, her hair, her skin, her lips, her body. But none of those physical traits could compare to who she was on the inside, she was the best person he had ever met and without her he felt lost. Her kindness and compassion was unlike any other and her dexterity whilst in the field was enviable. As for her wavering dedication, he had often watched her stay alone in the resident lounge looking over patient test results, notes, reading surgical papers whilst trying to come up with viable solutions for her patients. She was his best resident, and although he knew it was unethical to think this way, she was his favorite. Her communication skills were unmatched in comparison to Park’s practicality, Shaun’s logic and Morgan’s abrasiveness. No one could get to a patient like she did, and no one was as quick on their feet either. She was the whole package and there was nothing he wanted more but to unravel every part of her one by one. But, he knew that he couldn’t. He couldn’t kill her career before it really got started. He couldn’t let her become a victim to the vicious rumors and spiteful stares. He was her boss, and couldn’t let anyone speculate that he thought of her in any way other than as his resident. But he had to admit he wished she would visit him more often. Once Glassman had woken up from his slumber, he was informed that he had been in a coma for six months and that’s when the visits began from practically everyone BUT Claire. Surely enough as the days passed she came to see him a couple times but always trailing behind Lim, or the other residents like a sad puppy and making a weak attempt at eye contact which puzzled him incredibly. He figured that surely she just needed some space to process the news but it stung him, sharply and deeply. Ultimately, he figured it was probably for the best, that she was saving both of their careers, but he couldn’t help but wonder why she had taken such a huge step back and the worst part is he couldn’t even get himself to ask her.

Walking down the hallways of the tightly packed hospital brought back a strange set of emotions. On one hand there was the nostalgia. He reminisced his days as an intern, on working his way up to become a respected attending, on the successful surgeries and endless consultations. He remembered the late nights and once again Claire made her way into his thoughts as he recalled their conversations amidst piles of work and how much he enjoyed mentoring her. And then on the other hand he grimaced as he remembered laying on a hospital bed wishing he was treating patients instead of being the patient himself. As he approached the lounge he wondered if Claire would be there but quickly scolded himself that he couldn’t just spend the whole day thinking about his resident, he needed to get a grip of himself for both of their sakes. But alas as he got closer he spotted what appeared to be her silhouette propped up by the coffee machine and instantly, he lost whatever composure that had been attained. His heart raced and the iPad in his sweaty palms almost slipped out of his grasp. He was at war between his feelings and rational state of mind, which seemed to be getting smaller and smaller by the minute. That’s when he noticed him….. Tall, tan, muscular and with a bright smile. This man was standing next to her and if he could tell properly, he’d say he was flirting.  
Who the hell is that?!?!  
He felt his right hand ball up in a fist and the rage lead him to a strange lightheadedness which he had to control by balancing himself against a nearby wall.  
“Neil you alright?” It was Andrews coming up behind him.  
“Yeah, just nerves I think.” he managed to squeak out.  
“Oh come on you’re better than that”  
Melendez waited for Andrews to catch up and in the meanwhile he took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. And within a couple minutes he was entering the lounge alongside his fellow attending.

Claire  
She had felt….alone. It was like there was an endless void in her stomach which ached sharper with every breathe she took. Watching his unconscious body whisked away in the ambulance after he collapsed in front of her sent her into a frenzy. All she could think of was that she was going to lose him just like everyone else in her life who mattered and for all she knew this would be the blow to finish her once and for all. Amidst the self-blaming and fear which spun around in her troubled mind was the image of her mother, bloodied and reeking of alcohol in her totaled car. Melendez was going to abandon her just like her mother did, and this idea was reinforced when she later on arrived at the hospital and was greeted by the news that he was in a coma. And as much as she wanted to sit by his side clinging to hope, she couldn’t allow herself to do so. She couldn’t get her hopes up for him the way in which she had for her mother, only to be let down once again and lose herself completely. So instead she did the one thing she knew best and took a step back. Granted this was much harder than she had expected but she was stubborn and that worked in her favor. She made an effort to continue her workouts on a daily basis, went home each night and played the guitar instead of sitting by her phone anxiously waiting for his test results and only visited him with the other residents on daily rounds. She tried with all her being to block him out of her head and yet she failed because no matter how hard she tried to distract herself, his face was imprinted in her thoughts. Her runs were dry, and often distracted she would trip on the sidewalk, or a rock or even her own foot landing catastrophically, and adding another bruise to her growing collection. And as she played guitar every night, secretly she knew that she was singing to him. 

It all hurt more than she could bear but she forced herself to adhere to her schedule and as the weeks passed and he didn’t wake up she forced herself to believe that this was for the best. She needed to move on with her life, that’s what he would want. After three months she had come to terms with this reality, and by six although the pain still rippled through her body, she continued to push on.  
“He’s dead Claire..” she would remind herself  
“…just like your mother because that’s what happens to the people you love.” 

So when he spontaneously awoke, she panicked. How was she supposed to explain this? How could she possibly explain why she had barely visited him, and never on her own? How was she supposed to tell him that in her mind, he had been dead for the past six months? He could she tell him that she hadn’t even bothered to help him fight for his life? When he had woken up he was greeted by Glassman instead of her, and she couldn’t bear to have to explain that to him. So she continued to block him out, to pretend like this was her life and nothing would change. That is…. until he was back on the job. She wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever, but she certainly didn’t know what to do because deep down inside her broken heart, she still loved him. 

With Melendez in recovery, Morgan transferred to a new department and Park on temporary leave visiting his family; the hospital had recruited new residents. Dr.Jordan Allen, Dr. Asher Wolke, Dr.Olivia Jackson and Dr.Enrique Guerin, or Ricky as he had introduced himself. So far, Wolke, and Jackson had been placed on Andrews rotation whilst Claire and Shaun were with Lim. Ricky, was switched back and forth. She had to admit, the new residents were a pretty good distraction for herself, she was getting to meet new people and focus on co-mentoring them. So far she had gotten a pretty good idea of who they were, or at least from her point of view. Jordan was straight-forward and wasn’t afraid to voice her ideas. She was often quick to share her morals and personal opinions with the patients which needed some working on but overall was a good co-worker. Asher if described in one word would be: eager. In fact he was probably the most energetic doctor she had ever met and whilst his smile was a bit unsettling his disposition to learn proved that he would be a great resident. Olivia was….timid. She barely spoke and as Shaun had pointed out, her answers always sounded like questions but Claire saw a part of herself reflected through her and was secretly rooting for the young doctor. She definitely had potential and with some time she could truly flourish. And then there’s Ricky. Claire couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was, but there was something about him that was oddly comforting. 6ft tall, with his puka shell necklace, toned arms, and board-shorts Ricky was actually quite attractive. Throughout the last month Claire had noticed the stares, whispers and flirting from the nurses towards him and frankly she found it hilarious. To be fair with him, the man had handled it extremely well. He was incredibly smooth, far more than she expected and while he engaged in playful banter with them she could tell he never consolidated anything. He didn’t seem to be looking to date anyone at St.Bonaventure….or so she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for how delayed this is. I've been really busy this past month but I'm back. I decided to continue this fic after seeing the responses I got for the 1st chapter (thank you to everyone who had something nice to say I really appreciate it). This chapter is short but I'll post the next one soon. I hope you guys enjoy it and once again I'm always down for constructive criticism.

“Hey can I ask you something?”  
It had been a painfully tiresome day for Claire between her reoccurring thoughts of Melendez and her current patient’s dire situation yet she couldn’t seem to let go of this one minuscule detail  
“Go ahead” Ricky retorted a little too excitedly  
“Whats with the swim shorts? no offense but I’m pretty sure they don’t fall within dress code”  
Ricky let out a little chuckle as he responded with “ well actually they’re board shorts,”  
He let out a sigh before continuing his response, as if he was formulating the perfect way to word his thoughts for her  
“Heres my philosophy: most patients hate having to go to the doctor, they view the whole experience as a nuisance filled with fear and uncertainty. So when a patient sees me walk in the room with this radiant smile and wearing board shorts, its like being greeted by another human being rather than an uptight doctor. And from what I’ve gathered more comfortable patients equal more trusting ones.”  
Claire stared at him for a minute while her mind hacked away at his response. Sure it was a peculiar one but strangely it made perfect sense to her.  
“Hmm…I guess I’ve never thought of it that way”  
She let out a small grin, perhaps the first genuine one in months. He was right; his demeanor and clothes did bring a sense of comfort.   
Until that moment he had just been another resident, but now he was more than that, he was the comfort that she desperately needed.  
The elevator opened and both of them walked out, heading in different directions but Claire had one last thing to say:  
“Hey, I know you’re new and this is probably daunting for you but if you ever want I’ll gladly show you around.”  
Ricky was definitely surprised by her proposal but boldly answered “Yea that sounds cool”   
And then they walked off in their separate ways, both wearing giant smiles on their faces. 

Ricky  
From what he had come to gather, Dr.Melendez was the king of the hospital.   
It seemed like everywhere he turned, there was chatter about him whether it was regarding his looks, his ability as a surgeon, his past relationships, or his miraculous recovery. In the few weeks he had spent at the hospital he felt like he knew practically everything about the man. He was well built, handsome, had dextrous hands and was a bit arrogant but extremely caring of his patients. So, naturally when he first laid eyes on him he was shocked, how could this shrunken man be the Dr.Melendez everyone praised? His facial hair was a mess, his apparent muscles were no where to be seen and he looked miserable. But the dude was definitely loved, everyday he saw people walking in and out of his room bringing balloons, food, stuffed animals, you name it and they brought it. Interestingly though he didn’t have a girlfriend or wife. He knew about his past relationships: the one with Jessica, Glassman’s granddaughter, and the other with Dr.Lim, neither of which he had heard ended well. And then there was Claire, or so he had been told.   
From the moment he had first laid eyes on her he sensed something about her; maybe it was her natural beauty or maybe it was because he could tell she was special. But ever since she decided to show him the ropes they had started spending time together and with their every encounter he was more and more convinced that he had never met anyone like her. So, he assumed that the rumors about her and Melendez were false. After all if they really had been close wouldn’t see visit him? In his whole time there he had only seen her walk into trauma 5 a couple times either trailing behind Lim or the other third year residents. Their so called “special friendship” was nowhere present and he didn’t intend on proving himself wrong. 

Melendez  
Neil stood frozen in place. The resident's lounge which had once been so familiar now felt stone cold and new.  
“Dr.Melendez is back,” Shaun said, in his usual unenthusiastic way.   
All the eyes in room shifted towards his directed and yet all he could focus on was Claire. He hadn’t seen her in weeks, since she had last visited with Lim on daily rounds and he lost his breath for a split second. She looked beautiful like always but drained. The bags under her eyes were the largest he had ever seen on her, and her hair was in a messy bun: her go-to hairstyle on stressful days. He could tell she was overworked and sleep-deprived and wished he could reach out to her but her nervous flickering gaze and the man standing next to her were enough to convince him against that. He looked around the room at the other faces, most of them were unfamiliar, but all were curious gazes seemingly trying to analyze him from head to toe. Andrews quickly introduced them and he shook hands with each of the new residents; his grasp admittedly a bit rougher when he landed on Ricky.   
What a ridiculous name.   
Neil didn’t know how he could walk around and be taken seriously going by the name Ricky, but nevertheless he kept his thoughts to himself and tried to be polite.   
Once the introductions were over Andrews looked down at his tablet and then gave his announcement:  
“Alright this week I will have Wolke, Jackson and Murphy, and Dr.Melendez will have Browne and Guerin.  
“NO! anything but this” Neil screamed internally.  
The panic rushed through his veins and for a minute he felt faint. It was this moment when a part of him wished he had just died during the earthquake. Not only did he have to work with Claire, whom had avoided his gaze the entire time he stood there and whom he could barely breathe around, but he was now also forced to mentor inexperienced Ricky, who had already eyed her five times since he had entered the room and loomed over her like some possessive jerk.   
But he knew this attitude wouldn't get him anywhere, and he wasn't about to start a conflict. So, he took a deep breath and let out a weak smile hoping no one could see his trembling hands as he uttered “Let’s get to work.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I was gone for a month so I'm posting the next chapter now for you guys :) Hope you like it!

Pin drop silence.   
That’s the only way one could describe the ambiance of the room once Andrews and the others had left. Neil, Claire and Ricky stood in their own bubbles of thought consumed by emotions and the tension lay heavily like a toxic mist amongst them.   
Finally, Ricky couldn’t handle the silence any longer. “Well then, what’s the next move Doc?” he said eagerly although his face said otherwise.  
What a bold asshat, thought Melendez.  
How dare he address him so casually who the hell did he think he wa-, no he couldn’t go down this path, if not for himself then for Claire’s sake. He fumbled around with his tablet but managed to look over their new patient’s labs, letting out a pensive sigh as reading the case brought back flashbacks of his own injury. Man mid-thirties suffering from an abdominal injury due to a fallen street sign…well at least it wasn’t a lamp; nothing felt more pathetic about his whole situation than the fact that a lamp had caused it. He rolled his eyes and began the differential wondering what might’ve happened if that stupid lamp had fallen just a couple inches away instead of directly on him.

Claire  
As the day whizzed by her thoughts only got louder. When she first saw him, he was standing outside the lounge his eyes dead-set on her. It was like he was frozen in his steps and with each passing minute she grew more uncomfortable, so much so that Ricky, who had spent the past twenty minutes telling her about his Saturday surfing excursion paused his story and asked if she was okay. She knew that she was going to have to encounter him sooner or later but never imagined it would be this way. He probably had a whole list of questions for her or maybe even worse; maybe he hated her and never wanted speak to her again. Either way she was screwed and she couldn’t talk to anyone about it.   
He looked good though.   
Yes he had lost a lot of body mass but his face was clean shaven and there was the antler tattoo on his chest that she surprisingly hated but also found intriguing. All of a sudden a pang of guilt hit her. He had been her lifeline during the darkest moment of her life, and yet she had completely abandoned him when he was on the brink of death; and yes she did have a reason, but it didn’t seem valid. She was a fool for ever letting him go, for even thinking that she was better off without him, because all she wanted was for life to resume the way it used to be before the accident.

Approximately One Year Ago

“Claire wait up” Melendez almost tripped as he fumbled up the stairs in pursuit of his resident.   
“Are you okay?”  
She looked at him with red eyes and a forced grin,   
“Yeah I’m just tired.”  
Neil had been with enough women to know that this had everything to do with Angie’s death and nothing to do with her feeling tired but he didn’t wanna push too hard.   
He gently said, “You did an amazing thing for Angie’s mother, something that she’ll never forget.”   
To this he received a bitter “yeah well that won’t bring her daughter back,” and suddenly he had uncovered a side of her he was unaware of. Rumor had it that her mother had passed the night of her lead surgery, and he had been easier than usual with her the past few days, but here standing next to him was a kettle about to explode.   
“You’re angry,” he said without noticing, but continued the thought in hopes that maybe she would get her much needed release and indeed she did. For the first time since her mother’s death she said what she hadn’t dared to say before:   
“You cant be mad at someone for dying!”  
She was furious at her mother for leaving her once again and this time permanently.   
Claire had expected him to respond with something along the lines of “well its not her fault for dying” or “life’s rough, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” so when he responded with “you know that’s not true,” her ears perked up and suddenly all her attention was shifted onto him. He was the first person who hadn’t shamed her for being bitter, who was actually listening instead of lecturing. So there they stood in the middle of the exiting balcony, Neil watching his resident unleash her repressed emotions with a completely solemn expression. “Time will help and so will therapy….and there is one other thing that’s helped me.”   
For a minute Claire just stared at him with the most puzzled look he had ever seen from her. Could he possibly be suggesting- then with his usual boyish smirk he remarked,   
“Got any running shoes on hand?”

That marked the beginning of their friendship. A casual run in the park after she vented her heart out to her boss. Never in a million years would she have expected him of all people to be the one who lifted her up. If anything she had expected him to be the sternest. She had been mentally clumsy for weeks on end showing late to work, struggling to stay awake during differentials, giving everyone a snippy attitude. In reality Claire had been waiting for him to cut her from his team once again but here she was racing him in a public park. Outside the hospital walls he had transformed from her arrogant boss, to one of the best people she had ever met. His sarcasm and playful teasing revealed a side to him which nestled deep within her heart. He was the other half of her that had been missing and amidst her pain she felt a sense of fullness which slowly began to piece her broken heart together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my Melendaire girls for your friendship and inspiration. I love you all❤️


End file.
